Help in ID of Gold top....

[JandG]

I have had no luck in the ID of this mystery Goldtop. It was purchased from Japan as a earlly 80's proto, but I think it is a 2000 or 2001 aged version. The fret markers are veryconvincing aged Celluiod, tight & sharp inlays with no round points, no visible filler. the list goes on & on & would love to know just for kicks.Here are some pictures
















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[mike martin]

hi
nice gt
are the bridge screws screwed directly in to the guitar or do they screw in like the tailpiece
it looks like a mik one but i could be wrong.all the hardware could have been upgraded. trussrod cover has been replaced, pickups i think are dimarzios, bridge and tailpieces look to have been replaced
nothing wrong with made in korea but if it was sold as mij , then thats fraud
mike

 

[JandG]

Yep, I suspected fraud also, but I have other MIJ copies from variouse companies & this one is wierd. The Tailpiece is directly screwed into body just like my other MIJ guitars & my Gibson. Also, did MIK ever have the correct head stock as this one has.?, Headstock does not appear to be altered. Have you ever seen a Tokai with Celluiod fret markers,The truss rod cover is a big flag but the obviouse extra 2 screw holes are not even in the same spot as a MIK. The Pickups are Stamped DiMarzio USA in brass looking material, they do not have the cloth wiring Braided shielding as the rest of the guitar, but are very convincingly aged. I believe on purpose. There is no PCB in the guitar. The attention to detail on the fret ends & frets themselves shows MIJ. The story on this guitar which was purchased from Kantana guitars is that it was built buy a company employee for private collection, thus no logo. I took the chance because of the strange ness of the guita & the correct headstock. I see know way to fake a MIK head stock into a MIJ with out chooping off the headstock & scarfing a new head stock on, this was not done on this guitar. What does the SG stand for on the bridge & tailstop stand for...? The pot numbers are the small numbers I see in 1978 to earlly 80'sGreco, Burny & Tokai guitars, but not later then that. If MIK did do a proper open book head stock & did aged celluiod traps, I would be on Kantana like stink on sh.... but at this point can't justify doing that , it plays almost as good as my Gibson R8 & has great tone, 8.6 lbs . How does one test for poly or nitro...? with out putting something to eat the finish on it.......LOL

 

[mike martin]

hi
it could be one special order. but it does look the part.dont know too much about mik only that the trossrod cover has 3 screws. and bridge is not screwed directly to the body. there are a lot of guys really knolagable that will give you expert opinions . but if the guitar looks and plays to your satisfaction i wouldnt get too upset, unless you paid big bucks for it
mike

 

[mike martin]

hi again
cant see any thing to gain by tring to copy a tokai unless it was a real early model or a early gibbo, then the fraud you could understand why they would do it. so it probably has been a special order for someone
mike

 

[JandG]

Definately the best 640.00 to the door I have ever spent reguardless of orgin. The more I think about it, it probably is exactly as Kantana stated. Built by employee for his "own" private collection. MIK's also have maple necks & such, this one is mahagony , also Mahagony back & maple top. Also not a UK Tokai eaither I don't think. I have looked at there aged versions & they are not close to mine. No celluiod fret markers on there Tokai's. The dang guitar really is close to my 2000.00 + Gibson Histiric, even more so with the Celliod traps. But fit & finish is allmost a equal. Sad but true..........
Thanks,
J & G